Show lHU i iM L I i iT I I llNi 9eD I i i IIb i ritIIirait L JilhLI 1 c r 4 lJ MEETINGS OF WOMEN i I iI iI II I I Strong Expressions in Favor of j iI I the Separate Article I I THE GRAND OPERA HOUSE t I VERY LRGE GATHERING THERE I IV TIlE AFTERXOOX I I Addresses Made By It If Roberts I Mrs Froiseth Mrs Paddoclc I Mr Kirby and Mrs Hamilton I Resolutions Adopted anti i Caulks Caul-ks Inittee Appointed to Present I r Tliciu to the Convention The I j I Meeting sit the Exposition Build j i i lug Last SpeeeUes By I Juil c Powers Kiiiihall B H Itobcrts and Others I I I The women of this city who are opposed op-posed to having the equal suffrage clause Inserted in the constitution and who favor the submission of a I separate article fired the first gun in I their campaign at the Grand opera house yesterday afternoon and followed j t fol-lowed rt tp with anther at the exposition expo-sition biiildlmr last evenimr n The meeting at the opera louse brought out a great audience composed com-posed almost exclusively of women and those who expected a long drawn out wrangle were agreeably surprised Every opportunity was afforded af-forded for a full and frank discussion and tha business was disposed of with a celerity and method that would have done credit to any ibody of menthe As men-the meeting was called by the ladies who favor the submission of a I separate clause it is presumed that I those who took the opposite view remained re-mained anvay and the vote on the question was practically unanimous The opera house orchestra was in t attendance and rendered several selections se-lections Among those who odcupied seats 9 upon the stage were Mrs W A Nel den Mrs Froiseth Mrs Paddock Mrs C I Kirby Mrs Joseph L Rawlins Raw-lins Mrs C C Goodwin Mrs Ells worth Daggett Mrs W S McCornick I Mrs W P Lynn Mrs Isaibal Pitts Mrs O W Powers Mrs Mackintosh Mrs Fox and ¼ others The addresses were all very brief all 4o the point and all well received Mrs C I KSrby who has been a life Jong worker in the cause of equal suf frage created some surprise by coming out emphatically tin favor of the separate article plan and was warmly applaudedThe The Proceedings t 22s > m Mrs Frolseth called the meeting to order and nominated Mrs W A Xelden for ichairmaii and th motion was carried and Mrs S O B Cummings was elected secretary In assuming the chair Mrs Jtelden briefly stated the object of the meet ins and the secretary then read the following resolutions which had been prepared ing for submission to the gather I The Resolutions I The women of Salt Lake city and county in mass meetinsr assembled Iterebv adopt the following resolutions Whereas A convention is being held t In this city for the purpose of framing a constitution for the proposed state of Utah and Wheras The question is being considered f con-sidered by said convention of incorporating incor-porating in said constitution a provision pro-vision for woman suffrage and Whereas No opportunity has been afforded the women of this territory f fur to manifest their opinion upon the matter mat-ter and Wheras By the adoption of a plank I in favor of woman suffrage in the platforms i plat-forms of both political parties no op I Dortunity was afforded to the citizens of this territory to indicate their approval ap-proval or disapproval of the proposition proposi-tion and Wheras It is conceded alike by the advocates and the opponents of woman suffrage that in all intellectual attributes attri-butes and attainments the women are I entitled to vote and if this be true J then they posses the necessary intel r ligence and attainments to enable them II S to determine for themselves whether they desire this privilege and they should be given the opportunity to I decide this Question for themselves ands and-s Whereas From the published state mments of a majority of the delegates of the convention it appears that they arc supporting the proposition of equal suffrage not from personal preference or conviction that it is rizrht but because be-cause they feel obliged to do so from the fact that they have been elected upon platforms favoring woman suffrage suf-frage and Wheras It would be better to remain disfranchised than to have the privilege privi-lege extended to us through compulsion compul-sion and Wheras It has been repeatedly stated upon the flooD of the convention conven-tion and in the columns of Che public press and has been reiterated on every hand that if a provision in favor fa-vor of woman suffrage is inserted in the constitution it will prevent the adoption of the constitution by the j i people or by the president of the i United States and J Whereas We do not desire to seethe see-the possibilities of early statehood jeopardized by the efforts to extend to us the privilege of suffrage when the same end can be obtained by other means and Whereas A matter of such great importance im-portance and one that affects the interests in-terests of all to such a great extent and that imposes upon women duties and responsibilities of such a grave and weighty nature should not be adopted adop-ted without a full free and fair expression ex-pression of all the people to be affected af-fected thereby and Wheras If the measure is incorporated J incorpor-ated in the constitution itself or is submitted as a separate proposition at the time of the election for the adoption adop-tion of the constitution women will not be legally qualified to vote upon the question and Whereas The question of woman suffrage suf-frage can only be voted upon by women after the adoption of the constitution and the admission of Utah as a state und only then under provision of the Utah legislature therefore be it Resolved That it is the sense of the women of this the largest city in the territory in mass meeting meet-ing assembled that the question ques-tion of woman suffrage should be left undetermined until provision can be made by the state legislature for the submission of the question to a full free and unprejudiced popular S vote of the people of the new state at which election provision shall be made for the women to vote upon the jA a ± question and that the first state r 1 i I k I Wb6T legislature be authorized and directed direct-ed to call an election fcr such purpose pur-pose and that they be given the power to qualify the women to vote at such election Be it resolved further That the constitutional convention be and they are hereby requested to substitute substi-tute in lieu of the provisions that were adopted by said convention as a committee of the whole in favor of woman suffrage the following Section 1 Every male citizen over j the age of twentyone years posscs i sing the following qualifications shall i be entitled to vote at all elections l FirstHe shall be a citizen of the United States not less than three months before he offers to vote f Second He shall have resided in the state or territory one year immediately im-mediately proceeding the election at which lie offers to vote and in the county city town ward or precinct such time as may be prescribed by law provided that no person shall I be denied the right to vote rut any school district election nor hold any school district office on account of sex nor shall any person he denied the right to vote on account of sex at any election hereafter to be held as nerein proviaea lor tne purpose or I I j determining whether women shall be j entitled to vote I Section 2 The general assembly shall at the first session thereof and I may at subsequent sessions enact laws to extend the right of suffrage to women of rightful age and otherwise other-wise qualified according ito the provisions pro-visions of this article Xo suoh enactment en-actment shall be of effect until submitted sub-mitted 10 the vote of the qualified electors at a special election held for such purpose at which election I women of the age of twentyone I years and over and otherwise qualified quali-fied according to the provisions of this article shall be entitled to vote upon the question nor shall such enactment en-actment be of effect unless the same be approved by a majority of those voting ithereon MRS W A NELDEN Chairman S O B CTOESnilNGS Secretary B II Roberts Hon B H Roberts was invited to i take the floor In responding he said I the ladies present would never know how grateful he felt that this mass i meeting had been called He was of I the opinion that removing from our I common vocabulary of the name of diety was a wise provision It was done in order that the power and influence I in-fluence of his name might operate for our good and its sacredness preserved The influence of woman must also beheld J be-held sacred and it could not be sol so-l ept if she was dragged into the arena of politics If there was one thing I more than another that a manly man prided himself upon it was the woman I hood of the land Their opposition to I conferring upon her the suffrage was 1 I due in his opinion to the fact that he i had a higher respect for her than did those who wished to drag her into the j i arena of political life The question I I however was simply as to whether the matter u should be incorporated into I LUt CUll > lLULJUU U1 UUUULLCU LU i1 lce and sovereign people as a separate article ar-ticle in order that It might be considered con-sidered upon its merits independent of all else If it should be incorporated in the constitution it would place a large number of people in a peculiar position Those who insisted upon having it in the constitution claimed that the people were overwhelmingly for it If this were true what harm could be done by having it submitted as a separate article If the position of those persons was correct the article would be accepted by an overwhelming overwhelm-ing vote If as he believed the people were opposed to it then to incorporate the provision In the constitution would be to force those opposed to equal suffrage suff-rage to stultify themselves and vote for it or else vote against the constitution I and thus vote against statehood It was tyranny nothing more or less He I hoped this meeting would give emphatic em-phatic expression on the resolutions submitted and yet he feared that while this meeting was being held the wo1 i mans suffrage clause might be Incorporated Incor-porated into the constitution by the conveuuuu JL tv < u > juuie iiiiuui LUJIL therefore that he be in his place to I record his vote against the measure than that he continue to address this meeting Wishing them God speed in I their efforts he would therefore retire I Mrs Frolsetli Mrs Froiseth read a somewhat lengthy address favoring the resolutions resolu-tions on the ground that the insertion I of the equal suffrage clause In the constitution con-stitution clause would be likely to defeat j j de-feat statehood I A Song I Charles Lindell colored then sang The Women of Utah and awakened considerable enthusiasm Mrs Cornelia 1mliloclc Mrs Paddock made a very humorous address She said that if the women lof Utah insisted on all the rights and I privileges that men had then they I should be quite willing to assume all i the duties as well Speaking for her i I self she was not prepared to serve on i juries get out on the streets with a I j pick and shovel and work out poll taxI j tax-I if she hadnt the money to pay it or I taking up arms for her country It looked to her as though suffrage was not being given to the women In response to a general demand but was a gift that was simply being forced upon I them in spite of their protest Miss Utter favored the audience I with a song Mrs C I Kirby The next speaker was Mrs C I Kirby who said that she most heartily J endorsed he resolutions but at the I I I I same time she wished it understood that she was most emphatically in favor of equal suffrage She did not agree with Mr Roberts that suffrage would drab woman down in any Of gree whatever but she did not think I I it should be forced upon them In the I I manner proposed by the convention I She believed the women should meet i I I and consider the matter as they were j the ones who would be affected and they ought to be consulted She told I I I I of the experience when women did I have suffrage here and aid that sie i I I i never voted a straight ticket Prom Mrs Hamilton I Mrs F B Hamilton vas unable to I be present but she sent a letter expressing ex-pressing sympathy with the icsolu tions which was read by Mrs Daggett The Resolutions Adopted There being no further peakers the question on the adoption of the rsolu I tion was put On first vote there was quite a chorus of noes but when a ris ing vote was called for the resolutions were adopted there being hut three or four dissenting votes ITo I-To Present the Resolutions I The following commjttee was then appointed to present the resolutions to the convention Mrs McCornick Mrs Froiseth Mrs Paddock Mrs Rawlins Mrs Mackintosh Mrs Good win Mrs Powers Mrs Fox Mrs Xel den Mrs Cummings and Mrs Daggett The meeting then adjourned |